A rise in administrative costs, the current operating budget and budget priorities were the focus of Eastern’s University Professionals of Illinois’ press conference Wednesday.

David Radavich, president of Eastern’s UPI chapter and professor of English, said the number of administrators and administrative costs have been steadily rising since 1993.

Radavich has been compiling data through the Freedom of Information Act and found in 1998, Eastern had 107 administrators. By 2000, that number had risen to 177.

Currently, the ratio of administrators to faculty is three to one and administrative costs are up 43 percent, while teaching costs are up by 20 percent.

This trend in what UPI calls “administrative bloat” is not just at Eastern. Other institutions of higher education also have seen numbers and costs rise in the last decade.

Charles Delman, vice president of the Eastern’s UPI and professor of mathematics, said, compared to the rest of the state, Eastern’s administrative growth is greater than the state average.

“This is a well-documented pattern of increases in administration,” Radavich said. “We need to address this, especially in a time of tight budgets.”

UPI is also currently trying to negotiate a new three-year faculty contract.

As far as the university’s operating budget is concerned, Eastern’s UPI said certain realities and priorities need to be addressed.

Delman unveiled some budget facts, including the three percent increase in appropriated funds since last year.

“There has been some talk of a deficit, but in terms of actual money, there is no deficit,” Delman said.

Administrators have said the budget is experiencing a shortfall because of various unavoidable cost increases.

UPI also believes the portion of money from the state dedicated to academics also is lacking, Delman said. The percentage of the total budget allocated to academic affairs is 38 percent, with 59 percent of that figure allocated to faculty compensation.

The increase in income from tuition since last year is $5.3 million. Delman said this increase spawns from an increase in the tuition and an increase in the number of students enrolled this year.

However, the increase in funding for new faculty hires to accommodate the enrollment jump is less than $400,000 this year-a figure Eastern’s UPI thought was low.

Instead of hiring new faculty, Radavich said the university is overloading current teachers with work and students, and the quality of education suffers.

“We pride ourselves in trying to keep classes small,” Radavich said. “If we lose that, we lose the advantage that makes Eastern special.”

Eastern’s UPI is concerned about putting more money in the classroom and will continue to put pressure on administrators to allocate more funds to academic areas.

Getting this information to students is another UPI priority.

“Students are paying over $5 million more this year, and they’re entitled to know how much money is going into academic areas,” Radavich said.